Explainers News - Page 24

Like Nepal, there is fury against ‘nepo babies’ in the Philippines. Here’s why

Outrage is growing in the Philippines against ‘nepo babies’, the children of wealthy politicians and contractors, who flaunt their lavish lifestyle on social media. Their anger stems from allegations of corruption against lawmakers and contractors linked to flood control projects. Here’s what is happening

Israel’s Iron Beam ready to deploy: Why is it being considered a game-changer?

Israel has completed testing its high-energy laser defence system, Iron Beam, which will be deployed by the end of 2025. Designed to counter rockets, drones, and mortars at minimal cost, it complements Iron Dome and other missile shields. Officials say this breakthrough marks the world’s first fully operational high-power laser defence system

71-year-old US woman, who came to marry in India, burned to death: What we know

Rupinder Kaur Pandher, a 71-year-old American citizen, was brutally murdered in Punjab after being betrayed by Charanjit Singh Grewal, a UK-based NRI she met online and had hopes to marry. The 75-year-old man conspired with his old acquaintance to plot the heinous crime. What led to the killing?

Explained: Antifa, designated as terror organisation by Trump, and its ‘links’ to Charlie Kirk’s killing

Days after Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Donald Trump has designated Antifa, an extreme left-wing group, as a ‘major terrorist organisation’. The grouping, with its origins dating back to the 1920s-1930s, opposes racism, far-right ideologies, and what they define as fascism. While there’s no concrete evidence linking Tyler Robinson, the accused in Kirk’s killing, to the movement, he has exhibited signs of having leftist ideologies

Jimmy Kimmel suspended, Pentagon crackdown: The fallout of Charlie Kirk's killing on free speech

The assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has now led to Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension, mass firings of journalists, and a Pentagon crackdown on troops over social media posts

‘Get off the iPad’: Did distracted pilots of a plane almost hit Trump’s Air Force One?

Air traffic controllers reportedly ‘scolded’ the pilots of a Spirit Airlines flight after warning them for flying too close to Air Force One, which was ferrying US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. The New York-based controller was heard telling the pilots to ‘pay attention’ and ‘get off the iPad’

Praise, pomp and protests… Trump’s Day 1 of UK state visit

It was a day of contrasts. At Windsor Castle, Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, were given the royal treatment; they enjoyed a carriage procession, witnessed a flypast, and the finest of wine and food at the state banquet. There was also praise and flattery lavished, with King Charles honouring the US president for his 'personal commitment' to finding solutions to world problems. But away from the glamour, there were also protests and agitations against the American leader

History Today: When the 2016 Uri terror attack claimed the lives of 19 Indian soldiers

On September 18, the 2016 Uri terrorist attack resulted in India reshaping defence policy and taking a direct approach to cross-border terrorism. The same date has seen Jimi Hendrix’s death which shocked the music world in 1970, UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld’s 1961 plane crash, and Scotland’s 2014 independence referendum

FirstUp: Trump to meet Starmer, protests in France... today's big headlines

US President Donald Trump will meet Keir Starmer at the UK Prime Minister's country retreat in Buckinghamshire. The two leaders will have lunch and hold a bilateral meeting. In France, protests have been planned to express anger against the budget announced this summer

Did Trump try to date Diana? A look at US president’s fascination with the princess and the British royals

Donald Trump, who is making his second state visit to the UK, met King Charles today (17 September) at Windsor Castle in a ceremony filled with pomp and circumstance. But did you know that the US president once tried to date Princess Diana?

UN report accuses Israel of committing genocide in Gaza: What happens next?

A group of independent experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council has said that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Israel has rejected the findings, calling the report ‘distorted and false’. The three-member team’s detailed report is the latest to accuse Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of genocide

‘Brain-eating amoeba’ kills 19 in Kerala: What is this rare infection?

Kerala has reported over 60 cases of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rare brain infection. The disease has caused 19 deaths this year. Caused by Naegleria fowleri or ‘brain-eating amoeba’, the infection causes inflammation of the brain. But why is it so deadly?

What’s the social media activism row over which Ben & Jerry’s co-founder has quit?

Jerry Greenfield, who founded Ben & Jerry’s alongside Ben Cohen in 1978 at a renovated petrol pump, has resigned from the firm. Greenfield, in a letter posted online, claimed his ice-cream firm has been ‘silenced and sidelined’ for fear of upsetting those in power. It had taken progressive stances on Gaza, the LGBTQ community, climate change, and criticised Donald Trump

Inside 200 Russian camps for ‘brainwashing’ Ukrainian children

Russia has more than 200 different camps for 're-education' and militarisation of Ukrainian children, a report by the Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) has found. These sites are across Russia and in occupied areas that hold Ukrainian children. Moscow is believed to have illegally transferred several Ukrainian children since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022

'Little intent to fix them': How potholes have led the Blackbuck CEO to shut office in Bengaluru

Rajesh Yabaji, CEO of logistics unicorn BlackBuck, has decided to shut his company’s office on the city’s Outer Ring Road (ORR), saying the long commute made it 'very hard to continue' there. He said the roads in the IT hub were full of potholes and dust, adding he doesn't see the situation improving any time soon

Was Putin critic Alexei Navalny poisoned in Russian jail?

Over a year after Alexei Navalny’s sudden death in a remote Arctic prison, his widow Yulia Navalnaya claims new foreign lab tests prove he was poisoned. While she directly blames President Vladimir Putin, US intelligence agencies say Putin likely did not personally order the killing

Why China plans to 'serve' and not build more to save its economy

China has unveiled a slew of measures which it hopes will expand its services sector and boost consumption. The plan, announced by the Ministry of Commerce in concert with several other agencies like the finance ministry and central bank, includes developing infrastructure for cultural and tourism services, allowing foreign and private players into telecoms and high-end medical care, hosting international sporting events, and relaxing visa and tourism policies further

From Windsor walls to banners, why Trump-Epstein photos are all over London

Donald Trump is in the UK for an unprecedented second state visit. But the US president’s visit is not all about pomp and pageantry. It’s also about protests — thousands of Britons are unhappy with the American leader, and they are making it clear. Images of Trump and late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein are displayed across London, even on the walls of Windsor Castle, where he will be staying

What's the cost of keeping Elon Musk away from politics? A trillion dollars, it seems

Tesla has proposed a record-breaking $1 trillion compensation plan to retain CEO Elon Musk and secure his focus on ambitious projects like autonomous taxis and humanoid robots. The move comes as Musk personally purchased $1 billion in Tesla shares while facing criticism over political involvement

Why is Delhi’s historic Red Fort turning ‘black’ after centuries?

‘Black crusts’ have developed on the walls of Delhi’s Red Fort, according to a recent study. Researchers from India and Italy found that the city’s air pollution has caused the formation of thick black crusts on parts of the Mughal-era monument’s sandstone. The study also warned that if steps are not taken, the carvings on the monument could be damaged

‘No food, no toilet’: How a group of 56 Indian tourists faced ‘inhuman treatment’ at Georgia border

An Indian tourist, Dhruvee Patel, alleged that a group of 56 desis was subjected to humiliation and long hours of detention at Georgia's Sadakhlo border despite having valid e-visas and documents. She further said that the officials even took videos of them as if they were 'criminals'

Why Discord, used by Nepal protesters and Charlie Kirk’s killer, is popular among Gen-Z

Discord, a social media and messaging app, was used by Nepal’s students to bring down their government, and by Charlie Kirk's alleged assassin, Tyler Robinson. But what do we know about the app which has over 200 million users today? How did it become so popular with Gen Z?

Is Apple’s iOS 26 draining the battery life of iPhones?

The newly launched iOS 26 introduces several new features to the iPhone. However, some users have said the update is causing their batteries to drain more quickly. Soon after installing it, many took to social media to report faster battery drain. Apple has said that after a major update, users may notice a temporary drop in battery life

What was Kash Patel trying to say with Liverpool FC tie at Senate hearing?

FBI Director Kash Patel's Liverpool FC tie during a tense Senate hearing on Tuesday has created a massive buzz. The unexpected accessory overshadowed discussions on the Charlie Kirk assassination case amidst heated clashes with senators. It also left many questioning why America’s top cop sported the colours of an English football club

Why an ‘Arab-Islamic Nato’ proposal, endorsed by Pakistan, could be worrying for India

Israel’s strikes on Qatar may have consequences for the world, including India. Following the September 9 attack, leaders from over 40 Arab and Islamic nations convened an emergency summit in Doha in which the idea for a new military coalition, an ‘Arab-Islamic Nato’, was aggressively pitched. Such a grouping should worry New Delhi. Here’s why

Ice cream to hamburgers: Why these words may ‘crash land’ you in trouble in North Korea?

North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un has banned words like ice cream, hamburger, and karaoke, and has asked tour guides and workers at the hermit kingdom’s new luxury beach resort at Wonsan to use state-approved alternatives. He wants to do away with ‘foreign influence’

Palestinians flee Gaza City amid Israel offensive: Where will they go?

Israel’s massive ground assault on Gaza City has triggered a desperate exodus, with hundreds of thousands fleeing amid relentless airstrikes, collapsing infrastructure, and severe shortages of food and medicine. Gaza’s civilians struggle to survive and find safety, with most parts of the enclave facing evacuation orders or under an Israeli militarised zone

Why did Tyler Robinson kill Charlie Kirk? The accused’s texts with his roommate reveal…

Shocking text messages have emerged between Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer, Tyler Robinson and his trans partner, Lance Twiggs, revealing his confession and hinting at a possible motive. When Twiggs asked him directly if he had killed Kirk, Robinson replied, ‘I am. I’m sorry’. These messages, included in an indictment filed on Tuesday, offer the clearest explanation so far of a motive behind Kirk’s death

Is the far-right going mainstream in the UK?

British far-right activist Tommy Robinson along with 150,000 protesters took to the streets of London over the weekend. The angry mob expressed their fury over large numbers of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats, the housing of asylum seekers in hotels, a deepening row about free speech and continued economic stagnation among other issues

How a terrorist exposed Pakistan army chief Asim Munir’s support to terrorism

India has long accused Pakistan of harbouring and supporting terror outfits such as Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). And now, a terrorist, Masood Ilyas Kashmiri, has made a stunning revelation that vindicates New Delhi. The JeM top commander has revealed that Pakistani army chief Asim Munir ordered senior officers to attend the funerals of terrorists killed during Operation Sindoor